YouTube Insight has helped you learn more about your YouTube videos, enabling you to establish when and where your videos prove popular. But what if you could learn not just which of your videos are hot on the site, but which specific parts of those videos are hotter than others? What if you could know exactly when viewers tend to leave your videos, or which scenes within a video they watch again and again?

Happily, this information is now available to all YouTube video uploaders via an innovative new feature for Insight called "Hot Spots." The Hot Spots tab in Insight plays your video alongside a graph that shows the ups-and-downs of viewership at different moments within the video. We determine "hot" and "cold" spots by comparing your video's abandonment rate at that moment to other videos on YouTube of the same length, and incorporating data about rewinds and fast-forwards. So what does that mean? Well, when the graph goes up, your video is hot: few viewers are leaving, and people may be rewinding on the control bar to see that sequence again. When the graph goes down, your content's gone cold: viewers are moving to another part of the video or leaving the video entirely.

Here's an example of Hot Spots in action, based on a video of YouTube employee Michael Rucker making like Soulja Boy.

You can see that many viewers are not initially impressed with Rucker's efforts; they're leaving the video at a faster than average rate almost immediately after the video begins. But the longer the video plays, the more people tend to stay, generating a hot spot at the end of the video. Better late than never.

We think you'll find Hot Spots useful in several ways. For example, you can figure out which scenes in your videos are the "hottest" and edit them accordingly, or insert annotations at key moments to keep your audience more engaged. Now that Insight shows what parts of videos viewers are watching and skipping, you'll no longer have to guess why people watch your work – you'll know. You can find this new feature under the "Hot Spots" tab within the Insight dashboard (you must be logged in to your YouTube account).

As with all of Insight's features, we learn about the most creative examples from you. Are you using Insight in a new and interesting way? Upload a video to YouTube and let us know.

Check out wisselvallig's profile of Pakistani-born Muslim, Sohail Khan, who teaches high school physics in Flower Mound, Texas, a mostly-white, affluent suburb 10 miles north of Dallas.

Do you know someone whose life or work is inspiring? Someone you think the world should know about? Now is your chance to tell their story!

There are just six days left before the deadline for Round One of Project: Report. To be eligible for the grandprize $10,000 journalism fellowship with the Pulitzer Center to report on a story abroad and technology prizes from Sony & Intel, submit your video profile (which must be three minutes or less, and in English or with English subtitles) to the Project: Report channel by midnight PST on October 5.

We're excited to unveil our new and improved video uploader. A random sample of YouTube users have already been using the beta version, but now we're inviting everybody to check out this more streamlined uploading experience. Just login to your YouTube account and click this link to opt in. The new video upload flow includes these cool features:

You can enter in your video's metadata (title, description, tags, etc.) while the upload is processing.

Upload multiple files at once, without downloading a plugin (separate progress bars will display for each file).

The file-size limit for uploads has been raised from 100MB to 1GB.

We want your feedback, so don't be shy. Please leave a comment here, upload a video (using our new upload beta, of course) or join the discussion on our Community Help Forums.

YouTube's FANalysts -- the site's resident sports experts --have been pulling out all the stops in their bid to break-down the week's NFL news and serve up the most fantastic fantasy football advice available this side of the locker-room door. This week's hightlights include Cowboys' loyalist Shango's waiver-wire pick-up tips, which are nothing short of heroic, and Boston superfan Fitzy being rendered mute from shock over the Patriots mauling by the lowly Dolphins:

If you live and die by your analysis of NFL stats the way these guys do, you should hurry up and join the FANalysts ranks by submitting up to five original videos giving original football and fantasy football commentary to Circuit City's Join The Squad Contest. Get your tips ready -- the last day to submit is Sunday, September 28th.

SAN BRUNO, CA--(September 25, 2008) – Global Call to Action Against Poverty, Oxfam, Comic Relief, and Save the Children are joining with YouTube™ today in announcing the launch of the "In My Name" YouTube Campaign (www.youtube.com/inmyname). The dedicated YouTube channel will raise global awareness about the importance of the Millennium Development Goals -a set of time-bound and measurable goals for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women to be realized by 2015 - and will provide an opportunity for every citizen to amplify their voices in the global fight against poverty.

Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.Am has participated in a call-out video for the campaign, encouraging citizens from around the world to upload a video to the YouTube "in my name" channel, stating their name, their country and a specific ask of their government to end poverty. At the conclusion of the Campaign, a mash-up video of the most powerful submissions from around the world will be broadcast to world leaders at a General Assembly meeting, as a demonstration that global citizens are holding them to their commitment to create a better world.

“‘In My Name' enables individuals to send the powerful collective message that we can be the generation to end poverty," said Steve Grove, Head of News & Politics for YouTube. "Working with these great organizations, we can help ensure that the Millennium Development Goals receive the attention they deserve."

As the world enters the second half of the journey to meet the Millennium Development Goals, YouTube users, activists and those interested in being a part of the campaign to end global poverty will have an opportunity to make their voices heard around the world.

"This is a poverty emergency and there needs to be a massive shift in the way our leaders are tackling it. A child dies in a poor country every 3 seconds. There is absolutely no excuse for not delivering on the promises governments have made to end this tragedy,” said Alison Woodhead of Oxfam International. “Oxfam and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty are joining up with YouTube to make sure we give everyone in the world an easy way to use their power to demand action from their governments."

About Millennium Development Goals

In September 2000, building upon a decade of major United Nations conferences and summits, world leaders came together at United Nations Headquarters in New York to adopt the United Nations Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets - with a deadline of 2015 - that have become known as the Millennium Development Goals.

The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions.

Today, in New York City, world leaders will meet to discuss the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight time-bound, measurable goals that they set in the year 2000 to combat global poverty. These ambitious objectives were promises made to the poor, meant to hold world leaders accountable for ending global poverty by 2015. Today, we are halfway there.

That's why YouTube, Will.i.am, and nonprofit organizations Oxfam, GCAP, Save the Children and Comic Relief are launching "In My Name," a global effort to raise awareness around these goals -- and to give you the opportunity to tell your leaders to do more. See Will's message on the project here:

John Legend, Scarlett Johansson, Fergie and others are joining Will to speak out about the importance of achieving these goals. But world leaders also need to hear from you.

From now through November 1, visit www.youtube.com/inmyname to upload a video stating your name, your home country, and your simple message to your government about the need to meet the MDGs. Be as creative, compelling, simple, or wordy as you like -- this is your chance to join the video petition to end world hunger.

At the end of the program on November 1, a mash-up of the most powerful submissions from around the world will be broadcast directly to global leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, as proof that global citizens are holding them to their commitment to create a better world for everyone.

You can make a difference in the fight against poverty -- all it takes is your name.

SAN BRUNO, CA (September 24, 2008) – YouTube™, the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos, today announced YouTube Live, a celebration of the vibrant communities that exist on the site including bedroom vloggers, budding creatives, underground athletes, world-famous musicians, gut-busting comedians and more.

YouTube users have been gathering informally for years, but this is the first time that YouTube is officially leaping off screens with a live community celebration. Part concert, part variety show and part party, YouTube Live will be held on November 22 in San Francisco at the Herbst Pavilion in Fort Mason Center. The two-hour event will begin at 5:00 pm (PT) and will be streamed for a worldwide audience of millions through YouTube at http://youtube.com/live.

"For nearly three years the YouTube community has been defining pop-culture and in the process has made the site both a place to find and be found," said YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley. "YouTube at its core is a platform where everyone from the famous to the seemingly unknown shares a single stage and YouTube Live is a physical manifestation of this idea."

With live performances, celebrity guests, original videos, surprise collaborations and much more, this event will be a celebration of all things YouTube. Expect to see Internet-born stars like Soulja Boy Tell‘em, Esmée Denters (viewed more than 111 million times on YouTube), and "Canon Rock" virtuoso Funtwo dazzling the crowd, along with mainstream acts like Akon who has the #12 Most Viewed YouTube Video of all time. There will also be a global b-boy showcase featuring dancers from the movie Planet B-boy; Discovery Channel’s MythBusters will add their signature style of explosive experimentation; that humble little instrument, the ukulele (itself a giant YouTube trend), taking center stage; and perhaps a free hug or two. The Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am, three-time Grammy Award winner and Emmy winner for his groundbreaking video "Yes We Can," will unveil a brand new awareness raising video consisting entirely of user generated videos.

In addition, the "Vlog Squad," a group of long-time YouTube community members, will offer exclusive, behind-the-scenes access from different areas of the venue; WilliamSledd, Michael Buckley (What the Buck), LisaNova, and TayZonday have already been named as part of this ace reporting team. Tay Zonday will also put his unique pipes to work as the announcer for the show and Mike Relm will serve as house video jockey.

YouTube Live's sponsors, Activision, Lionsgate and Virgin America will seize the YouTube spirit. Activision will immerse the YouTube Live audience into the Guitar Hero® World Tour experience with gameplay kiosks, live demos, and other attractions to promote the Guitar Hero World Tour launch this fall. Lionsgate will leverage YouTube Live as a platform to build buzz and excitement around four of their major Q3 and Q4 film releases, including Saw V. The Saw franchise has not only sparked fan reviews and discussion on the site, but several trailers and a spoof have together generated millions of views. As the official Airline Sponsor of YouTube Live, Virgin America will be flying in YouTube celebrities from all over the country on new planes that feature a host of innovative, tech-savvy amenities. Virgin America will also bring the excitement of YouTube Live to 35,000 feet, through a unique in-flight event and exclusive YouTube video premieres on the airline’s touch-screen in-flight entertainment system.

Tickets for YouTube Live will be extended to hundreds of users who can sign up through the site (http://youtube.com/live) or who will get special invitations due to their status as partners. Other YouTube partners, clients and advertisers will also be in attendance.

This summer, YouTube teamed up with People.com to find a new entertainment reporter. Hundreds of you rose to the challenge, and after two rounds of community voting, Chescaleigh was anointed the winner. She earned a weekend in Hollywood filled with parties, stylist appointments, and a spot on the red carpet alongside People.com's Michelle Beadle. Her videos give an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at the big weekend, from a Revlon make-over to designer dress selection and dinner at the Four Seasons. Best of all, she captured some of the TV industry's top personalities at a major awards show and got them to share their enthusiasm for their favorite YouTube videos. You can check out Chescaleigh's interviews with stars like Ricky Gervais, Jorge Garcia (a.k.a. Hurley from Lost) and the queen of celebrity snark, Kathy Griffin, on the Red Carpet Reporter channel.

Today marks the beginning of something new in The YouTube Screening Room, our recently launched platform for premium film content. It's the beginning of a one-month sponsorship by Lionsgate, during which upcoming releases from the Hollywood studio have set the theme for the selection of independent short films you'll see featured in the program.

For the next two weeks, we're showcasing a hilarious line-up of religious satires in honor of Bill Maher's forthcoming documentary, Religulous, directed by Borat's Larry Charles, in which Maher examines the state of religious fundamentalism around the world.

Our selection of short films, which broach the topics of religion and spirituality with irreverence reminiscent of Mr. Maher's, include Bob Odenkirk's "The Pity Card," from the US, in which Odenkirk, a former Saturday Night Live writer, explores modern Jewish identity through the awkward lens of a first date at the Holocaust Museum; Stephen Irwin's "Ascension," from Australia, in which a man accidentally stumbles upon his neighbor's apocalyptic cult, risking more than a good night's sleep; the Oscar-nominated, "Give Up Yer Aul Sins," from Ireland, a cartoon in which a young Irish schoolgirl offers a rather unconventional retelling of the story of John the Baptist; and Zam Salim's BAFTA-nominated, "Laid Off," from the UK, in which a recently deceased young man mourns his own carelessness in concealing his "private reading material" before his death.

If you're a football fan and you haven't checked out our FANalysts channel, it's a one-stop shop for all things football: color commentary, timely fantasy advice and no shortage of trash being talked. This week, Fitzy recovered from the loss of Tom Brady to rediscover his love of fantasy football, Shango's alter ego brushed up on his Madden skills and K-Fed himself big-upped Uncle Joey's fantasy acumen.

If you've got the goods to be a FANalyst -- to provide original, timely, snappy football analysis and fantasy advice -- then shoot, upload and add your videos (up to 5) to Circuit City's Join The Squad Contest. The last day to submit is Sunday, September 28, so you've got plenty of time to sharpen your sportscasting skills and take the other FANalysts by storm.

Back in June, we launched Video Annotations, a feature that allows you to add background information, create branching ("choose your own adventure" style) stories or add links to any YouTube video, channel, or search results page -- at any point in your video.

Being the creative lot you are, we should have anticipated all of the amazing uses that you would have found for this feature: you are putting it to work to create elaborate narratives and games, teaching tools, promotional enhancements, and much more. To that end, this month's Trendspotting Tuesday (yes, the program is now monthly) is devoted to innovative applications of Video Annotations. Check out some examples on our home page or right here:

Inspired? Try adding Video Annotations to one of your own videos. Here's a helpful instructional video from user DestinyHomeBusiness:

Stretching the limits of our imaginations and endlessly wowing us with their dazzling visuals, animators constitute one of the most creative -- and sprawling -- communities on YouTube. That's why we're devoting every Monday's Film & Animation spotlight to a YouTube animator in a feature we're calling "Animated Mondays." We figure there's no better way to start the week than with a healthy dose of mind-twisting storytelling, as only YouTube's finest can provide.

Kicking things off, funymony uses good ol' fashioned doodles to tell the tale of an unfortunate waitress and an uninvited dinner guest in "Dinnersaur."

The summer of 2008 might be remembered more for where people didn't go than where they did. Rising gas prices and sluggish economies forced many people to give up their originally ambitious vacation plans in lieu of options that weren't so hard on the wallet. Enter the "staycation."

As the YouTube community so often proves, it's all about how creative you can be with the resources available to you. Finding and forging adventures in their own backyards, countless users documented just how much fun can be had close to home. From taking a tour of Japan by way of New York, to building a personal wildlife sanctuary, to hitchhiking across the country, these intrepid domestic travelers teach us that "off the beaten path" just might be a lot closer than we think.

YouTube is, well, a video product. So we thought, why not use videos to provide help to our users? That's where you come in...

We know you know how to make informative, creative videos -- the site's full of them. We're asking you to use your skills to create videos that we can embed in our Help Center. If selected, your video will be seen by many of the 1 million+ users who visit the Help Center each day!

Less than four weeks from today, one of the most exciting presidential campaigns in history will come to head, and millions of voters from every state in the nation will set out for the polls to cast their ballots. On November 4, we invite you to document your experiences on Election Day and share them with the world here on YouTube.

Today, in partnership with PBS, YouTube presents Video Your Vote, a project designed to shed light on voting in America and show democracy in action through the eyes of voters like you. Together, PBS and YouTube ask you to share videos of what you experience on Election Day. We're looking for perspectives from polling places across the country that chronicle the excitement and energy at the polls, as well as any problems that may arise -- like long lines or broken voting machines -- that could prevent citizens from exercising their right to vote.

Hear more from Judy Woodruff of the News Hour with Jim Lehrer:

Some of the best videos uploaded to the Video Your Vote channel will be showcased on PBS throughout PBS's election coverage. Be sure to tag all of your election day videos with the tag "videoyourvote" -- and if you witness or encounter anything problematic at the polls that is hindering the voting process, also use the tag "pollproblem" so your video can be easily found.

From now until Election Day, Video Your Vote will be your go-to destination to learn all about voting. Here you'll find interviews with the world's most knowledgeable election experts, in-depth reports on this year's election and elections past, and inspiring "Get Out the Vote" videos from some of YouTube's champions of democracy.

All channels are now categorized so you can more easily find your favorite creators and videos. On the Channels page, under All, you can browse for channels uploading videos to categories like Film & Animation, News & Politics, Sports, etc. You can also use this functionality to filter your results to show Partners only.

MODERATE COMMENTS ON YOUR CHANNEL

Now you can moderate all comments other users leave on your channel page.To turn this feature on, go to the Edit Channel Info page in My Account. There you can change your settings to allow comments from "Friends" or "Everyone" to display on your channel automatically or only once you have approved them. All comments waiting for your approval are highlighted on the "see all" page of your channel comments. Once you have chosen which individual comments you want to approve, click the "Approve Selected" button. If your email options are set to notify you of new bulletins or comments on your channel, the link in your email brings you to the page where you can approve selected comments.

We're always interested in hearing your feedback! So, if you've got something to say about the aforementioned features, please leave a comment on this post or join active discussions on our Community Help Forums. You will find pinned topics for the site improvements listed above in the Feeback & Suggestions section.

Although summer is over, we couldn't deny that the summer Guru Challenge was one of our most successful to date. Cooking expert PrincessDiana161 had almost 80 users take her up on her challenge and send in their favorite summer recipes. There were so many great responses that we invited her to be a guest editor and feature her top 12 on our home page. Take a look:

Football season is in full swing, and over on our FANalysts channel our crew of sports experts are pontificating, debating and generally FANalyzing every aspect of NFL info for your edification and entertainment. If you're a serious fantasy football owner, you're contemplating player moves to give your team an edge week-to-week, and our FANalysts can provide that strategic mindset or piece of advice that could make all the difference.

If you think you've got the sports-commentator skills and expert pedigree to be a YouTube FANalyst yourself, submit up to five original videos of yourself providing original football and fantasy football opinion to Circuit City's Join The Squad Contest. The winner will be selected by community voting and will become a regular contributor to the FANalysts channel.

Your own passion, originality and creativity is key, but to get a sense of the level of insight you'll need to be a FANalyst, here's the latest video from Shango the Stonethrower:

The last day to submit is Sunday, September 21st, so fire up those cameras and let the FANalyzing commence!

As the YouTube Community expands and evolves, we're always trying to keep pace by creating policies that reflect innovative new uses of YouTube and the diverse content posted by users every day.

We realize it's not always obvious where we draw the line on content that's acceptable to upload. Our goal is to help you to be able to keep your videos up and also keep your account in good standing. With this in mind, we've updated the Community Guidelines to address some of the most common questions users ask us about inappropriate content. Included in the update are a few new things to steer clear of, like not directly inciting violence or encouraging other users to violate the Terms of Use.

Today, in partnership with the Pulitzer Center, YouTube presents Project: Report (www.youtube.com/projectreport), a journalism contest (made possible by Sony VAIO and Intel) for non-professional, aspiring journalists to tell stories that might not otherwise be covered by traditional media.

In each of the three rounds of Project: Report, reporters will be given an assignment to complete. Each of these assignments gives you an opportunity to report on the important individuals, issues, and communities in your life that most people do not yet know about.

The assignment for Round 1 is to profile someone in your community, in three minutes or less, highlighting a story you think deserves to be heard by a wide audience. Submit your video entry for Round 1 by midnight EST on Sunday October 5, and a panel of journalists from the Pulitzer Center will narrow the field to 10 semi-finalists. The assignment for Round 2 will then be announced, and the judging for this round will be opened up to the YouTube community to determine the five finalists who will move onto the third and last assignment. Winners of each round will receive technology prizes from Sony VAIO and Intel, and the grand prize winner will be granted a $10,000 journalism fellowship with the Pulitzer Center to report on a story outside of their home country.

Even if you did not participate in or advance past Round 1, you may still complete the assignments for Rounds 2 and 3, though you will not be eligible for the grand prize. With Project: Report, YouTube and the Pulitzer Center hope to highlight as many of your stories as possible and draw attention to important topics that have been under-reported, misreported, or not reported at all.

So, it's time to pick up that video camera, take on this assignment, and start reporting your stories to the world.

SAN BRUNO, CA--(September 8, 2008) - YouTube™, the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos, announced the launch of Project: Report (http://youtube.com/projectreport) in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and made possible by Sony and Intel. The first of its kind program begins September 8 and encourages aspiring journalists to produce short, high-quality video pieces focused on stories that are not usually covered by the traditional media.

The program will take place over three rounds. The first round will be judged by the Pulitzer Center and will narrow the field down to the top ten reporters. The YouTube community will then vote to select the top five finalists and the ultimate winner. The winner will receive a $10,000 grant for travel abroad and the opportunity to work with the Pulitzer Center on a story of global importance. The finalists will also receive high-end video and editing equipment from Sony and be featured on the YouTube homepage. Additional prizes will be given to the top ten and top five participants as the contest progresses.

“Central to the Pulitzer Center’s mission is coverage of stories that are being under-reported in today's media environment,” said Jon Sawyer, executive director of the Pulitzer Center. “With YouTube’s global reach and popularity we have the unique opportunity to offer a program that encourages aspiring journalists to tell these stories in a fresh and compelling way."

“Project: Report was inspired by the thousands of individuals around the world who have used YouTube to change the way news is reported in today's media landscape," said Steve Grove, head of news and politics for YouTube. “From videos of natural disasters to investigative reports on political candidates, YouTube has become a go-to site for rare and dynamic news stories from around the world. Project: Report will support and cultivate this type of content, encouraging aspiring journalists to continue informing the world through YouTube.”

Starting today and continuing through October 5, contestants will create and submit a profile of three minutes or less of an individual of significance in their community. An expert panel led by the Pulitzer Center will choose the top 10 entrants. Each of the 10 semi-finalists will receive technology from Sony. They will also participate in a journalism conference hosted by the Pulitzer Center.

The second round of the program will call on the 10 semi-finalists to create a video of four minutes or less to tell a local story that has global impact. The top five videos will be chosen by the YouTube community and the reporters who produced them will receive additional video equipment from Sony, as well as one-on-one mentorship with a journalist as they head into round three of the program.

In the third and final round, the five finalists will tell the story of an under-represented community -- with a further reporting technique required. Each of the finalists will be provided with two additional Sony video cameras to give to members of the group they are reporting on, so that they can participate in the telling of their own stories. The reporter will then use this footage and integrate it into the telling of the story of five minutes or less.

Each of the three rounds will feature model videos from work sponsored by the Pulitzer Center as well as videos on reporting techniques from the journalists involved. The contest channel page will also feature videos with tips on technique from Sony and Intel.

About YouTube

YouTube is the world's most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, Calif., and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

About the Pulitzer Center

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting supports in-depth coverage of international affairs, focusing on topics that have been under-reported, misreported – or not reported at all. The Center funds reporting on all media platforms and partners with both traditional and new-media news outlets. The Center's Global Gateway engages directly with high school and university students across the nation, building a constituency among younger audiences for quality global news coverage. To learn more visit www.pulitzercenter.org

The 2008 Paralympic Summer Games officially opened in Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium yesterday, where over the next 11 days, 4000 athletes from 150 countries will compete in 20 sports for 472 gold medals. Be sure to check out Paralympic Sport TV's YouTube channel over the next two weeks for event footage, profiles, interviews and more.

A few athletes to watch for: world No. 1 wheelchair tennis player Esther Vergeer from the Netherlands, Canada's Chantal Petitclerc, German swimmer Kristen Bruhn and South African sprinter Oscar Pistorious, aka "The Blade Runner." Pistorious's recent attempt to qualify for the South African Olympic team electrified the sports world, but he'll be challenged by a highly-competitive field of sprinters. Here's a recent profile of Oscar:

Some interesting facts about the XIII Paralympic Games:

> The host country of China is looking to surpass the 63 gold medals they won in Athens in 2004. In preparation for the Games, the Beijing city government made subway stations wheelchair accessible and added 2000 wheelchair-accessible buses and taxis.

> Sixteen of the 213 athletes on the U.S. delegation are military veterans, including swimmer Melissa Stockwell, an Army veteran of the Iraq War, and discus and shot put thrower Scott Winkler, an Army veteran of the campaign in Afghanistan.

> Wheelchair rugby -- or "murderball" as it's known to most fans -- has its own welding shop in the Olympic Village to repair dents and busted chairs resulting from high-speed collisions.

Heavy metal rockers Metallica have inspired countless musicians on YouTube – think extreme guitar soloists, pounding drummers, violin trios, hard-edged vocalists and even animated kerrang-ing Lego musicians. Turns out the band itself has noted this phenomenon. Here's drummer Lars Ulrich revealing his favorite Metallica-inspired videos and wondering if some of these talented musicians might even out-play his own group:

The videos the band chose include an eight-year-old guitar phenom from Sweden, a Spanish violin trio performing "Nothing Else Matters," teenagers banging out "Master of Puppets" in their bedroom, and Canadian "Shred the Web" winner (and uber-fan) Francisco Meza. Lars shares the whole playlist on the MetallicaTV channel and today we are featuring them on YouTube's home page. Also featured is the new Metallica video, "The Day That Never Comes," an epic guitar-solo journey through the desert during wartime.

Over ten million people are currently living with cancer and millions more have been touched by the disease in a profound way. Dozens of these people are using YouTube to share their stories and to demand that funding for cancer research increase so that doctors can finally find a cure.

Stand Up To Cancer, a nonprofit organization who is leading the charge to raise funds for research, is shining the spotlight on these users by serving as today's homepage guest editor:

In recent years, sizable breakthroughs in cancer research have created the opportunity to stop cancer in its tracks. However, for the first time in over three decades, federal funding for this research is decreasing. You can voice your support for increased federal funding or make a donation to support the next generation of cancer research by visiting http://www.standup2cancer.org.

The Grand Old Party is having a big week as thousands of delegates, party leaders, celebrities, and honored guests are broadcasting themselves from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. At upload booths stationed in the Xcel Energy Center, and on a mobile camera roving through the convention hall, the party faithful are taking the opportunity to tell the world why Senator John McCain should be the next President of the United States.

The country watched as Hurricane Gustav swept through the Caribbean and into the Gulf this weekend, making landfall in Louisiana on Monday. Memories of Hurricane Katrina, the powerful storm that devastated New Orleans exactly three years ago, remain fresh in the minds of area residents. To ensure that no one relived that experience, Louisiana leaders ordered a mandatory evacuation on Saturday that has pushed more than two million people to leave their homes and seek safer lodgings.

This week it's the GOP's turn to nominate their candidate for President, at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. With Hurricane Gustav on the horizon, the GOP has announced that the Convention will take on a muted tone - and the videos coming in from St. Paul will likely be overshadowed by the footage being uploaded from the Gulf Coast. Here on the YouTube news and politics team, we'll be keeping track of both.

Like everyone, our thoughts are with those in the Gulf Coast. We hope that Gustav's damage is limited, and that the GOP is able to proceed with at least some of the Convention programming. If they do, our Convention channel will have a 360-degree view of the proceedings, and will house the latest video coming out of the Xcel Energy Center, including speeches that might not receive prime-time TV coverage. We'll also have behind-the-scenes footage from party leaders, and attendees will be uploading their video nominations of Senator McCain at booths set up around the venue. And as the Party manages and reacts to the events in the Gulf Coast, we'll post that footage to the channel as well.

Finally, our RNC convention contest winner, Shawn Summers, will be vlogging from St. Paul and keeping you in the loop on what's happening there. Shawn was on the campaign trail with McCain just a few weeks ago and says he's excited to witness this historical gathering, no matter how it plays out. Check out this mash-up of some of the best entries to the contest:

Stay tuned to YouTube for the latest in videos from both St. Paul and the Gulf Coast - our thoughts are with those facing the storm.